Acknowledge your day for what it is

I remember my Dad describing his days as either good days or bad days when he had bowel cancer. Fortunately he survived after treatment and his ability navigate and manage the ups and downs certainly helped him. I think acknowledging the kind of day you’re having for what it is, is important.

If you’re having a bad day, i.e. your heart’s heavy, your head’s down and/or you’re in pain, then acknowledge it for what it is and move on. A bad day is simply a reflection of the challenge you face – it’s not a measure of character. There’s no point beating yourself up on some pretence that regardless of what’s happening in your body, you have to make your headspace a positive one everyday. Use the bad days to make the good days feel even better.

If you’re having a good day, acknowledge it too and notice the things that made it a good day. Expand on those things, feel gratitude for them and bring them into your day as and when you can. You can build and strengthen a positive mind set, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be possible or accessible to you everyday, and so capitalise on the positives.

Good day or bad day, acknowledge it for what it is, tomorrow will be different again.

About these strategies

Welcome. These strategies are for people who’ve been diagnosed with a terminal or life threatening illness. If that’s you, I’m sharing them because I know something about what you’re going through, they helped me and so maybe they can help you too.